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GAZI HUSREV BEY'S LIBRARY IN SARAJEVO
Prospects for Future
History of the Library
Gazi Husrev Bey's Library in Sarajevo was founded in 1537, together with a school (madrasah), six years after Gazi Husrev Bey, the Ottoman Governor of Bosnia at the time, had established the oldest higher education institution in Sarajevo for teaching of Sufi philosophy (hanikah). In his endowment charter (vakufnama) about the construction of the madrasah, the benefactor requested that "… whatever was left from the funds for the construction, it should be used for a purchase of good books, which would be utilized in the mentioned madrasah, for those who would read them and for those who are involved in science to copy from those books". For this reason, this library is considered to be the first and oldest cultural institution of the Bosniaks.
The Library remained within the Kurshumlija Madrasah until 1863 when, due to the lack of space, it was reallocated to a larger room built next to the Gazi Husrev Bey's Mosque. It remained there until 1935 when it was moved again because of the large quantity of books in its collections. Its new location was in the building in front of the Imperial (Careva) Mosque. It was there until the beginning of the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina in1992 when the safety reasons urged to be transferred to several, more secure locations in the City.
The basic collections of the Library consist of manuscripts in Arabic, Turkish and Persian. They amount to 10,000 codices, which makes this Library one of the largest in Europe. It is well known throughout the world. The manuscripts came from various parts of the Islamic world, most particularly from big and renowned centers of culture and science such as Istanbul, Mecca, Medina, Cairo and Baghdad. A considerable number of these manuscripts originated in Bosnian towns and villages where many Bosniaks-Moslems wrote original works or copied the books by other authors from all, then known scientific disciplines.
The complete book collections became larger because many individuals endowed or donated books to the Library. Sometimes the whole private libraries were given as a gift. A number of manuscripts and other valuable books, as well as several private collections, were purchased by the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina for this Library.
The overall library holdings today is 60,000 units. Apart from the already mentioned manuscripts' collections, there are other holdings of printed books, periodicals and historical documents in three Oriental languages, then in Bosnian and in some other European languages . The periodicals' funds keep the oldest newspapers and magazines printed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, whereas the archives hold documents related to the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period of the Ottoman rule. It also has an important collection of 1,400 vakufnamas, and 86 sigils (court records and protocols) from the Sharia Court in Sarajevo. It should be mentioned that all the collection in the Library were preserved in the course of the last war. Bearing in mind the level of devastation and destruction of the Bosniak cultural heritage, the Library's holdings represent today almost the only, and therefore unavoidable, source for research of the history and cultural heritage of the Bosniaks and Islamic studies.
The basic functions of the Library are acquisition, cataloguing, processing, keeping and offering the collections for use in scientific and research purposes for anybody involved in research of these disciplines.  The need for the construction of Library's new premises
Having taken into account the Library's importance, and especially the fact that, even before the war, the Library premises were located in the building which could not provide adequate conditions for such an institution, the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which financed its functioning, requested the permission for the construction of the new Library premises from the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the local authorities in Sarajevo. The Islamic Community commissioned the program of Construction and began preparing necessary documents for the construction. Having obtained the permission, a general design and implementing project were prepared. A public competition was announced in order to procure the General Design. Once this stage of activities was accomplished, the general design corresponding to the modern library requirements in its spatial and functional dimensions. These requirements were defined in the Project Design. Because of the actual location of the new premises, they agree perfectly with the setting of its immediate surroundings, as defined in the urban planning and architecture.
Functional features of forms
According to the Project Design, the new Library premises would be able to house 500,000 volumes of books. It allows its intensive development in the longer term period. It will consist of several parts. They would be interconnected in terms of their communications and functional purposes. A part of the Library intended for the external users is separated from the offices. Nevertheless, both these parts are connected in such a functional way that they allow the maximum rendering of services for the users of the Library holdings and their comfortable work, including all sophisticated technical devices. The office premises also allow the high quality of work, from the new acquisitions and their processing to their placing into depots and consequent availability to users.
All the Library holdings, and most particularly the manuscripts, would be placed in closed and extremely secure depots. All the necessary safety and security devices would be installed.
In compliance with the Project Design, the space intended for the Library users was also resolved in a functional way: catalogues, reference collections with a reading room, a general information service and the main Reading Room. They are all planned to be at the same level in order to facilitate the retrieval of information and the desired books. The main Hall with 300 seats and the auxiliary rooms is intended for public events. Its position in the new premises is such that it could be reached from the outside in the shortest possible amount of time. In this way, the primary purpose of the Library is protected. This Hall with its auxiliary rooms has multiple functions. It could be used for a variety of events of different nature.
A space for a protection, restoration and book binding facilities allow the complete protection of library holdings and materials, since it has enough spaced for the necessary equipment and materials needed in the process of complete restoration and protection of books with the application of the most recent technology.
The Project Design envisaged such solutions in terms of the Library functions and space that enable the multimedia concept in the Library operations.
The administration segment of the Library is well connected with the main parts of the premises, so the staff could establish easy daily contact with the Library Management.
Because of the specific features of materials kept in the Library, the space was provided for development, research and educational services which should upgrade Library's overall function.
A powerful computer configuration was also planned to be installed into the premises, so that all the Library's segments could become a single information system.
A special attention was paid for the Institute for Islamic Studies and the research of the Bosniaks-Moslems' cultural heritage. This part of the Library was specially designed in order to be connected both to the other Library segments and for the users coming from the outside the building. That is why a direct connection is established between the Institute's premises and the official entrance into the Library.
 The functional parts of the Library are as follows:
a) Main Hall with 300 seats and auxiliary rooms,
b) Maintenance room,
c) Heating facilities,
d) Space for protection, restoration, reprographics and printing shop,
e) Publishing activities,
f) Depots of Library holdings,
g) Acquisition and processing,
h) Catalogues and reading rooms,
i) Depot for manuscripts and archive materials,
j) Institute,
k) Special Collections,
l) Library administration,
m) Development service,
n) Amphitheater,
o) Electrical power facilities. 
Location of the premises
The premises of the new Gazi Husrev Bey's Library Building are located in the old part of Sarajevo. It is the part of the unique cultural and educational complex of the Islamic Community. It consists of the Gazi Husrev Bey's Madrasah, Hanikah, the Kurshumlija Madrasah and the future building of the Gazi Husrev Bey's Library. According to the existing program, the Gazi Husrev Bey's madrasah would retain its current function, whereas the Hanikah should be given back its previous appearance. The Hanikah should be the place for the museum collections of the Islamic Community. The function for the Kur{umlija Madrasah would be decided upon later.
The New Library premises go to Mula Mustafa Basheskija's Street on the North side (this also represents the utility entrance into the building), the main entrance is on the west side on the Gazi Husrev Bey's Street, and the entrance on the South side leaves to the Sarachi Street.
The General design envisaged that the internal communication should have been established between all the premises mentioned so that they could achieve the high level of mutual communications. In certain time, these communications lines would be closed in order to provide the individual functioning of each institutions. In view of its connection with the public communications, the whole complex is intended for the external use. The possibilities are provided for communications between the users and the Library staff.
Architectural and Urban planning Solutions
Since it is located in the old part of the town, the project had to comply with the existing ambiance.
This was achieved through:
a) shaping
b) function
c) ambiance atmosphere.
Shaping must have provided several conditions for the premises. Most of these conditions were met in the general Design. All four sides of the premises have different dispositions and relations to wards the center.
The side looking to the Mula Mustafa Basheskija Street needed to comply with the general look of the complex in terms of its height and the facade styles.
The main entrance is from the Gazi Husrev Bey's Street. It required the change in style. The ambiance of the old bazaar is in a forefront here. A number of old traditional shops are in the front of this side of the premises. The higher segment of the building is in the second plane, with a dome and the recognizable public buildings in the ambiance of the bazaar.
The same applies to the Sarachi Street. The existing shops on this Street form the well known line of premises with the New Library building.
The interior facade of the premises tried to create the unique and harmonious whole together with the existing buildings of the Kur{umlija Madrasah and the Hanikah.
The functional aspect of the building is in harmony with the bazaar's ambiance. All the functions in the Library are interwoven, and together with the complex and its basic function they form a system as an integral part of the old town and its bazaar.
The atmosphere and the ambiance are two key points that also tried to harmonize the premises into the existing matrix.
Construction of the premises
The project envisaged the possibility of construction in two stages. The first stage encompasses the Library with its basic functions, whereas the second one plan the construction of the remaining segments. They include other cultural and educational functions on the higher floors. The commercial ones are reserved for the ground floor and basements, respectively.
The construction of the second stage depends a great deal from the funds available. Nevertheless, it would be desirable if both stages could be accomplished simultaneously. The reasons are multiple. The whole Islamic Community complex with its cultural and educational purposes would become final and complete, the whole complex would be properly shaped, the construction could be cheaper and more efficient, and a certain degree of profitability could be also attained etc.
The premises have two underground and three stories above the ground. The underground stories would be actual depots for the library holding because of the static reasons and the safety against war and other misfortunes. The building materials are normal ones, and the final works would depend from the actual use of rooms and financial possibilities. The premises would also be secure against moisture, fire, earthquake, theft and other inconvenience.
The complete installation of water, sewage, drainage, lighting, wiring for sound, protection against fire, heating, air conditioning and alarm system was envisaged.
The size of premises
The project requires that the gross surface space in the Library in the first stage amounts to 6,200 m2, and 1,100 m2 in the second stage. This was observed in the General Design. However, the Implementing Project would define the gross and net surface space with a more precision.
Equipment
The Project documentation has in one of its Appendices the project of movable equipment. It was done jointly with the firms specialized for such activities.
Remark
The architectural General Designs and the model of the new library displays the best the rooms, their size, interrelated connectivity, relationships towards other buildings, and particularly towards the Kur{umlija Madrasah and the Hanikah, as well as the composition and harmony into the old bazaar in Sarajevo. All the other elements are presented in order to create the more thorough insight into the realized shaping and functional solutions.
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